Smile
by Durgas Dragon
Summary: AU. Kakashi reflects on Iruka’s influence on his life. Sequel to 'Store Competition', but can be read alone.


**Smile**

**__****Disclaimer: This is a purely fan-made piece that is using the world and characters from Masashi Kishimoto's ****Naruto**_** and is made entirely for enjoyment. No financial gain has been made in the making of this piece**_

**__****Summary: Kakashi reflects on Iruka's influence on his life. Sequel to 'Store Competition', but can be read alone.**

**__****Author's Note: Alternate universe, possible out-of characterness, and general rambling**

**__****Constructive Criticism is always welcomed**

**__****Published: 15 May 2009**

**__****Rating: K+**

******Kakashi glanced at the security ****monitors as he walked by, slowing down as a poof of a ponytail caught his eye. The bookseller on the small section of the screen was shoving his thick-rimmed glasses up on his scarred noses and smiling at a kid he was helping.**

******Kakashi watched the other man for a moment, noticing how the henna highlights blended with the chocolate strands and how that scar wrinkled with each smile. He made himself leave before he got lost in the watching.**

******He knew that his interest in his subordinate was never going to go anywhere, not only because the company had strict policies about fraternisation among its workers—especially between a superior and a subordinate—but because he refused to date a co-worker on principle. He'd seen one too many workplace relationships end and the job becoming a living hell for **_**everyone**_**, not just the ex-couple. It simply wasn't worth it.**

******It was, for the most part, easy. There were a few people who threw themselves at him, but he ignored them and eventually, they left. He focused on his job and knew that due to this focus, he was in a very good place. He was the top candidate for the District Manager position if Tsunade ever decided to retire, publishers regularly asked for his advice on possible books and designs, the top rungs of the corporate ladder liked him, and his salary had started to approach ****high digit five figures.**

******Everything was much simpler before Iruka got hired.**

******Kakashi remembered when he was introduced to Iruka. Dark expressive eyes outlined in kohl, making them all the more prominent under the thick-rimmed glasses; long brown fringes that threatened to fall over one eye and bright red strands that mixed with the mocha hairs in a lively ponytail; a big smile that was almost ridiculously warm and sweet; a firm grip in strong hands and jeans.**

******Some part of Kakashi was grateful that Iruka didn't line his eyes and didn't wear those jeans to work anymore. Honestly, those jeans were the best illustration of sexual harassment Kakashi could think of. It wasn't possible for an ass and a pair legs to look so damn fuckable and it was so distracting that there were days he could barely get anything done. He missed seeing Iruka like that, but his productivity was so much higher when Iruka wasn't a walking ad for the sexual appeal of skinny jeans, so he let it go.**

******Iruka's other problem was he had the personality and brains to back up that body. If he had been just another pretty face, Kakashi would have found it easy to ignore him. But Iruka was anything but. He had so much raw **_**potential**_** it made Kakashi's teeth hurt. If the man had even a **_**lick**_** of ambition, he could rise above the ranks and move on to bigger and better things. It made Kakashi irrationally angry that all Iruka wanted was to be the Children's Lead and to help with the training of new staff.**

******He pushed and prodded the other bookseller to try and get him to do more with himself, but it didn't work. Kakashi had to resort to other methods to get Iruka up in the ranks. Iruka was the reason they made a title of Training Supervisor and Kakashi made sure that everyone new had to go through Iruka and his training programme. Iruka's f****ive-step programme was good enough that corporate adapted it and made it standard throughout the stores.**

******And **_**still**_** all Iruka wanted was to help train people and straighten kiddie books.**

******It never occurred to Kakashi that he might be pushing a little **_**too**_** hard until Kurenai bluntly told him he was being too severe with the bookseller and Asuma—in his laid-back roundabout way—mentioned that Iruka felt persecuted. When even Gai started making comments, Kakashi looked in to it.**

******And realised that Iruka hated him. Completely and utterly **_**hated**_** him.**

******When Kakashi thought back on it, he should have guessed that Cookie Incident (well, that might have been because Iruka didn't appreciate their nightly discussions on balancing tills) and the fact that he'd been Santa's Elf for the last few years should have been a tip-off (Iruka was famous for getting back at people who wronged him in the WORST ways), and now he didn't know how to fix it. Every time he tried to be nice now was greeted with suspicion and hostility. It was actually surprising that Iruka hadn't put a complaint in with the company's anonymous tip line.**

******Kakashi made valiant efforts to clean up his behaviour, even if Iruka didn't believe it was genuine. If nothing else, he didn't want the man to think that he hated him, when few things could be farther from the truth.**

******Kakashi also made sure that the fact that he got Iruka**** to be noticed by Tsunade and the fact he was behind the bookseller's promotions didn't get out to Iruka. If Iruka was already suspicious of him and his behaviours, he probably wouldn't take well to finding out Kakashi instrumental in some of the big moves in the store he'd made. Probably would think it was a bribe or something equally bad and would try to pass it up.**

******Kakashi looked at the sales reports he was supposed to be reviewing and tried not to remember how sweet Iruka's mouth really was. It had been something that had distracted him ever since the annual store competition, but it was****n't exactly anything he could explore further, much less repeat.**

******Remembering that Iruka not only hated him but was off-****limits helped him bring his brain back to where it needed to be.**

******He was half-way through the paperwork when the familiar knock came.**

******"Come in."**

******He didn't look up because he was too vulnerable at the moment and there was no telling what would come out of his mouth if he met those warmer-than-brownies eyes. He couldn't stop that demonstrative voice from affecting him.**

******"I, um, I need a new availability sheet."**

******Kakashi looked up much more sharply than he intended to. "What for?"**

******"I...an opportunity has arisen." Iruka pushed up his glasses and adjusted the messenger's bag across his chest.**

******"Are you planning on leaving us?"**

******He looked surprised. "No, of course not." And before Kakashi's hope could burgeon any more, he added "My health insurance and things like that are through the company."**

******Kakashi handed the ****availability sheet to Iruka and refused to let his fingers brush against that smooth skin. He didn't want to have that knowledge to couple with memory of that flawless mouth; nights were long enough without those two things getting together and making them longer.**

******Iruka hesitated, holding the paper almost nervously.**** It seemed like there was something on his mind and he wasn't quite sure how to phrase it. "What's been going on with you recently?"**

******Kakashi blinked at the blurted out question. "What do you mean?" He asked, making the mistake of looking up as the red filled Iruka's cheeks.**

******"I didn't mean that they way that it came out," Iruka apologised, "but your behaviour towards me has done almost a one eighty in the past month."**

******Kakashi made himself listen to what was being said and not fixate on that mouth. "It was brought to my attention that I wasn't being completely fair with you, so I am trying to fix that."**

******Iruka stared. "'Not being completely'..." he started disbelievingly. He shook himself slightly**** and seemed to be biting back what he really wanted to say. "Of course." He sounded torn between being bitter and incredibly frustrated. "Well, I just wanted to know. Thank you."**

******Irrationally, he wanted to tell Iruka to stay, but that would be crossing all sorts of professional and personal lines, so he didn't.**** Instead, he watched the younger walk out, pausing only to read the flyer that was taped to Kakashi's door.**

******Iruka glanced back at him sharply. "Asuma and Kurenai have announced their engagement?"**

******"We'll have a cake for them on Saturday."**

******"I saw that on the flyer, but what about the policy on dating?"**

******"While the company frowns on fraternisation between its workers, the policy expressly states that**** it isn't allowed between two people where one of them is in power," Kakashi flipped over the report and started on the busywork on the second page. "And since both Kurenai and Asuma are managers, neither one of them out-ranks the other, thus the company cannot touch them."**

******"Ah, so there's the loophole," Iruka looked at the flyer again. "Is that why Kurenai got promoted recently?"**

******"Kurenai got a promotion because she put in for one and because both Tsunade and I felt that she was the best candidate for the job," Kakashi said dryly.**

******He could **_**feel**_** the temperature in the small office rise, which meant that Iruka had smiled at him. "So it was just good luck for her?"**

******"I would never promote someone just to help out their love life, and I don't encourage office relationships." He made himself keep his eyes on the paper in front of him. "And she got it not through luck, but by being an ambitious and good employee."**

******"And I'm going to assume that you're going to claim you knew nothing about their relationship before her promotion."**

******Goddamn it, the smile must have gotten warmer because it was colouring Iruka's voice now. He wasn't going to look up, no matter how fabulous Iruka probably looked right now! "I didn't. I was quite surprised when they announced their engagement. All I could do was reprimand them for their disregard for the rules and make sure that they don't have any overlap in their schedules."**

******"Aren't you supposed to fill out paperwork on that sort of thing?"**

******"Shikaku is in charge of that kind of paperwork. You know that. I don't have to do that stuff."**

******Iruka's warm laughter burst out, startling Kakashi. He made the mistake of looking up. That open, unguarded face hooked him sharply and started to reel him in before he got control of himself again.**

******"Well, thank you for the availability sheet, I appreciate that. And thank you for fixing your behaviour;**** it has made work a much more enjoyable experience."**

******Kakashi resisted the urge to either ask if he was really that bad or if Iruka wanted to make the experience even **_**more**_** enjoyable. He looked down at the paperwork, trying not to let that perfect smile distract him from the fact that they were selling those stupid teen vampire books faster than they could stock them.**

******If he was a less professional man or one with less control of his body, he would have breathed a sigh of relief when Iruka shut his office door behind him.**

******Damn it, it was almost easier to work with Iruka when the man hated his guts. Then he could at least keep **_**some**_** emotional distance from the man and now...now, Kakashi felt constantly plagued with Iruka's warmth. Now those smiles occasionally were directed at **_**him**_**.**

******Productivity was going down the drain again, he could tell. Maybe he should have thrown a remark or two in there, but Iruka had just commented on his change in his behaviour.**

******Goddamn it. How was it that**** this man had so much power over him? How? He had done nothing but fight it since he first met Iruka, and yet it seemed he never gained any ground.**

******There had to be SOMETHING he could do.**

******Kakashi silently sighed and stared at his paperwork. He was going places. He was vital.**** He was the best of the best. He had a job and he was going to go far in it. He had goals and he was going to achieve them.**

******And it worried him that all of that faltered and vanished in the face of that warm smile.**

**__****x Fin x**


End file.
